The Resurrection of Galvatron
Summary: What do the Decepticons want with Penumbra? Hint - the clue is in the title! '''Washington ''The Evergreen State is bordered on the north by Canada, Oregon to the south, Idaho on the east, and the Pacific to the west. The northwest corner consists of the Olympic Peninsula, with its rainforests and the towering Olympic Mountains. However, the region east of the Cascades, the forested and sometimes volcanically active mountains running north to south through the state, is largely dry, including the arid Columbia Plateau in the south. Forming the border between Washington and Oregon is the Columbia River, one of the world's greatest sources of hydroelectric power. The state is home to a variety of industries, from lumbering to their famous apples to the manufacture of jet aircraft, missiles, and even spacecraft. Penumbra is on a car show road trip. Summer is car show time, and all the boys and girls at these things tend to make goo-goo eyes at him. It's also great to see old and new Earth designs. He's obeying the speed limit as he cruises the highway. CCR "Grapevine" plays from his radio. Cyclonus had been staring down Bumblebee, in a hilariously mismatched standoff, when his little Autobot Detector gizmo goes 'boop boop.' "Ha. I have no need for you any longer, you yellow speck," Cyclonus says, gruff but smug. Into his wrist-radio, he calls, "BARRAGE! MESA! YOU ARE TO CONVENE ON MY POSITION IMMEDIATELY!" He stares off into the distance -- in the direction of Penumbra. "Yes, /you/ will do much more nicely," he mutters. Bumblebee growls as he fires a laser shot right for Cyclonus' head. "This speck can kick your aft!" He yells as he runs after the sweep. Bumblebee misses Cyclonus with its BumbleGun attack. <> The clicking voice of Barrage shrieks over the Decepticon radio frequencies as a very large, very garrishly-colored beetle swoops down through the air, his metal wings generating an irritatingly-loud *BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ* noise as the Insecticon homes in on Cyclonus' location. <> With not so lightning speed... ((He did just recover from getting crushed yesterday)), an AH-64D Longbow chopper flies in. The chopper flies around ominously, not taking any sort of direct action against anyone or anything. It's urban camo pattern and wing mounted gatlings suggest that this chopper was refitted for Urban Warfare. There are no discernable markings on the outside other than a National Guard marking. Decpeticons in the area now have troop deployment locations on their HUD. Other relevant infor will be supplied when needed. Bugatti Veyron passes by a few transport trucks, a greyhound bus, and an old VW van filled with nuns playing religious folk guitar. A mid-life crisis suffering business man passes him driving ridiculously too fast in his Jaguar. Penumbra resists the urge. He doesn't want any scratches, dings, dents or traffic tickets ruining this weekend. Cyclonus simply tilts his head out of the way of Bumblebee's shot with a faint 'tut tut' sound. "Savor your new lease on life, Autobot," he says, still not facing the little yellow minibot. "Perhaps take the time to figure out how you will mourn your ally." Cyclonus leaps, soaring into the air and accelerating past Penumbra, before slamming into the ground in front of him. "Barrage, most loyal of my Insecticons, help me with this Autobot slime. Mesa... deal with the /yellow/ thing." Bugatti Veyron hits the breaks and skillfully manuevers to avoid colliding with other more panicky drivers. "Decepticon! Whoever you are! Out of the road!" He honks his horn and then transforms rapidly into robot mode looking a little miffed as if Cyclonus owes him explanation for stealing his beer. Bumblebee re-aims his gun and fires the shot this time at Cyclonus's butt area to see if if that does anything different to the decepticon! Bumblebee misses Cyclonus with its BumbleGun attack. "Yes Sir!" The chopper yells. Then the seemingly unassuming chopper transforms into the familiar form of Mesa, Evil Decepticon! ™ When Mesa fully transfoms, his left arm reaches back behind him to grab the now dislodged rotor assembly from his backside. It then transforms into a sword. Mesa arcs it high over his head and drops down from the sky meaning to cleave into Bumblebee. Though ironically, or not ironically if you know Mesa, Rock music of Cybertronian origin seems to be playing as he begins his decent towards Bumblebee. Mesa's rotor blades instantly stop as the various parts begin to form into his robot mode, followed by the low audible sound of a drum and bass tune. Mesa strikes Bumblebee with Rotor Sword. Taking a sudden downwards veer, Barrage buzzes obnoxiously through the air, making a bee-line towards Penumbra. <> Barrage poses the question just as he swoops down next to Cyclonus, his form expanding and transforming with a series of chattering clicks. "Or are we just dis*kik*membering him?" Guns a-blazin', Barrage shifts into his robot mode. Traffic behind PEnumbra screeches to a halt far back. Traffic ahead of Cyclonus and Barrage speed up to get the heck away. Oncomming traffic across the median is a little less organized. Some want to stop. Some want to speed up, and they are not as neatly divided by robots directly in their path as the lane 'bra is in is. Several fenderbenders and collisions occur. One car scrapes along side the concrete barrier and sparks fly. It slips free and speeds away. Bumblebee gets sliced by Mesa and he grunts and sends a punch for Mesa's robot face with his free hand, looking to Penumbra. "Need some help!?" Bumblebee misses Mesa with its punch attack. "I think a fine dismembering will do, Barrage," Cyclonus chortles, drawing his amazing saber and pointing it at Penumbra. "Be sure not to damage his laser core. We'll /need/ it." He then lunges forward, attempting to spear Penumbra through the inside of his elbow, aiming right for the robot's joint. Cyclonus strikes Penumbra with Saber. Mesa sighs as he steps back to avoid Bumblebee's punch. Mesa then looks at the Autobot and states in his all too calm bassy voice, "That's it little one? I would of thought that one of the mighty heroes of the Autobots would of been a bit more impressive than that." As Mesa says this, his hip gatlings rise up and target Bumblebee, and a short moment later, unleashing a fury of ammunition in BB's general direction. Mesa seems to be dancing to the beat of his music as he fires. Is he having.. fun? Mesa strikes Bumblebee with Hip Gatlings. Penumbra draws his own rapier quickly and moves to parry, just not quick enough to divert the saber from missing him completely. Cyclonus' blade slices through the side of Penumbra's torso just above the hip. He grits and calls to Bumblebee, "Do /you/?" Penumbra moves to attack Cyclonus with a thrust of his sword. "A vulture and a maggot want to share me as roadkill pickin's? Ha!" Penumbra strikes Cyclonus with Rapier Thrust. "It'll be done," replies Barrage as he points one large sonic gun at Penumbra, the chamber starting to thrum to life with loud vibrations. "I'll make sure at least his *kik* laser core will still be *kik* around." The Insecticon buzzes in mid-air as his finger presses against the trigger of his weapon, unleashing a -boom- of sonic force aimed straight for Penumbra's head. Barrage strikes Penumbra with Sonics. Bumblebee gets shot and thrown back. He gets back up and fires a laser shot for Mesa. "Nah, I should be able to take out this pest. Radio for backup?" Bumblebee strikes Mesa with BumbleGun. Penumbra stabs Cyclonus through the stomach, blade going in deep -- and Cyclonus stands there, as if it didn't even hurt him. "Hh," he grunts, looking down at the blade sticking into his belly. "I question the tactics of getting in so close, Autobot scum," he says, gripping the blade with one hand so that Penumbra can't pull the sword back. A mighty Unicronian fist flies up, soaring toward the Autobot's jaw! Cyclonus strikes Penumbra with Haymaker. The shot from BB's gun dings Mesa's shoulder and the shot ricochets elsewhere. Mesa doesn't seem to be affected. His head isn't quite staring at Bumblebee, but his mono-optic turns to face him. ((Think Zaku from Gundam..)) As the tempo of the music gets more upbeat, so does Mesa, he charges at Bumblebee's downed body and does an open palmed attack to keep the Autobot down. Mesa strikes Bumblebee with Robo Buddhist Palm. Bumblebee gets slammed down and he goes to kick the decepticon off of him. "Do you actually do anything other then make noise?" He asks, getting back upright. Bumblebee misses Mesa with its kick attack. Mesa simply lifts one leg up as the kick from the little Autobot swishes. A chaingun appears from subspace in Mesa's free hand. How many guns does he slaggin have!? "Hows this for noise?!" He then fires the chaingun at the downed Autobot. Mesa strikes Bumblebee with Chaingun. Penumbra grabs his head as the sonic boom engulfs him. His audios stressed and strained. The vibration bombardment rattling his very optics in their sockets. He can't quite make out Bumblebee's question to answer him. And Cyclonus clocks him. Penumbra was actually ready to let go of the blade a milisecond later had he'd been against a slower opponent. He flies back through the air and crashes into the highway concrete barrier with that sickening cruch cars make when colliding. The sporty redneck Autobot finds he has a little scrap left in him yet. And he quickdraws his pistol as he proclaims, "I would have gotten free waxings from bikini clad humans. Do you know how soft their hands rub wax in! It's better than the supplest hands any detailer on Cybertron has to offer!" He fires off quick short bursts of laser fire at Cyclonus. ~pew pew pew~ Penumbra strikes Cyclonus with Laser. Bumblebee gets shot back and raises his own bumblegun again and fires another few shots for the decepticon, groaning a bit in annoyance. Bumblebee strikes Mesa with BumbleGun. Barrage sweeps upwards through the air as Cyclonus delivers that hellacious haymaker to Penumbra. The Insecticon clicks as he descends in an odd mechanically insectoid laugh. "You should just give up, Auto*kik*bot. There is no hope for you." Barrage rapidly shifts and transforms in mid-air as he speaks, assuming his beetle form as he fires off a sudden bombardment of rapid-fire explosive charges from his horn, aiming to blast Penumbra through the skies. "At *kik* all." Barrage strikes Penumbra with Gauss. Penumbra falls to the ground unconscious. Mesa laughs as another pathetic shot bounces off his torso. "Die Autobot." Mesa states simply as he brings his gatlings to bare again and squeezes off a few more rounds into the fallen Autobot. Mesa strikes Bumblebee with Hip Gatlings. "Excellent, Barrage!" Cyclonus calls in his deep, weary voice as Punumbra is blasted. "Mesa! Disengage with the yellow cretin, and the both of you load our capture into me!" Cyclonus transforms into his jet mode, parked on his landing gear, a loud hum filling the air as his nuclear engine awakens. "Time is of the essence!" Bumblebee gets shot back once again. He gets up as energy sparks from him. He then runs to grab penumbra, firing a shot at cyclonus. Bumblebee misses Cyclonus with its BumbleGun attack. Penumbra can now say he has been inside of Cyclonus... QOOC. If he were still active, he'd try to hijack this sweet ride. Again, QOOC. :p But as it is, Cyclonus wants to stuff unconcious Autobot inside himself. I could go on all day. :p Mesa quickly takes his sword to the Autobot as he approaches their quarry. "Just fall and stay down this time." The rock music seems to be nearing it's end. Mesa strikes Bumblebee with Rotor Sword. Mesa hurries to help load their quarry into Cyclonus, as trouble is a brewin. Bumblebee gets slashed and stays by Penumbra, his left arm hanging lifelessly as it arcs with energon. He then raises his gun to try and shoot Mesa in the head if he gets closer to Penumbra Bumblebee strikes Mesa with BumbleGun. Cyclonus has just had Penumbra stuffed into the ass of his jet mode. As reinforcements arrive, his nuclear engines glow with eye-bending fire and he shoots off into the sky. Cyclonus retreats from the area swiftly, outdistancing all pursuit and parting shots. Descending and transforming once more into his robot mode, Barrage lets out shrieking "HAIL BOMBSHELL!!" as he proceeds to drag up Penumbra and shove him inside Cyclonus. From there, well. He'll fly off, right behind Cyclonus, his high-pitched buzz wailing incessantly through the skies. Barrage begins retreating, leaving itself vulnerable to parting shots from Exo-suit Glaive Unity , Vector WX3 , Blue Spaceship, Mesa, Penumbra, Cyclonus. Vector WX3 arrives at full speed, his tires screaming on the ground and a cloud of dust following him. But alas he seems to be too late for he arrived just in time to see 2 of the 3 decepticons running away. To Bumblebee's credit, Mesa gets shot right in the Decepticon symbol on his helm. Then Mesa does something unusual. He salutes Bumblebee as he takes off to the skies. He then transforms to his chopper mode and leaves the area with utmost haste. Mesa begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Exo-suit Glaive Unity , Vector WX3 , Blue Spaceship, Cyclonus. '''Sunlab-2 ''Inside the station, the once pristine and worklike environment has been turned black and ruined, machinery broken and sparking, the bodies of scientists lying about, walls etched with deep scorchmarks. Something happened here. Something bad. Sunlab-2. Still shattered inside, still crawling with Decepticon guards, all with guns at the ready, all looking taut. Something is in here, something /bad/. But what? Cyclonus lands in the Sunlab-2 docking bay, having served as transport to the few troops he's brough along with him, as well as Penumbra. His landing ramp extends and a door swishes open for the troops to exit. "Hurry, hurry," he growls. Mesa hops out of Cyclonus and unloads the fallen Autobot. "You there! Help me with this." Mesa yells to a seeker. The Gumby Seeker rushes over and assists with carrying the Autobot to where ever his fate shall be. Landing in the docking bay, Barrage sweeps around him in a wide arch with his gun, as if expecting -- or hoping -- for someone to spring out at them. After the sweep is finished, the Insecticon puts his armaments away, clicking in mild anticipation as he drags out Penumbra. "This will *kik* be a sight to see." Blot gets out in a hurry! Because he was told too. He doesn't say much today, he's just hanging out, pleased to be part of the 'club' as it were, and trying not to spoil it. From a darkened doorway in the base comes a voice, dry and crackling as autumn leaves, yet with the echo of something strong and powerful. "Do you have him Cyclonus? I grow IMPATIENT!" Even knocked out, cut up and and blown up, Penumbra is still 1000 times prettier than all three Decepticreeps put together.... make that four. Or five... Ofcourse, he's a helpless paper weight at the moment. What vile deeds will the Decepticons have free reign to perform? Another two shuttles land in the bay. A group of Decepticon Commandos come from each shuttle. What seems like the leader of the Commandos approaches Mesa as he finishes with the Autobot. "Sir, Energon and Materials as requested. Sorry you got caught in the explosion Sir." The Commando then hands Mesa a Datapad and sets off to start unloading. "Very well and no worries. It all worked out." Mesa salutes the Commando and heads towards Cyclonus and the others. Cyclonus growls. "Open the Autobot's chest panel. Expose his laser core. I do not want anything interfering with this... this /process/." He sounds irritable, and perhaps a bit nervous. "What are you waiting for?! /DO IT!/" From the darkness, the voice comes again, the lights brightening slightly to reveal a tall but hunched figure, swarthed in metallic bandages, every part of his armour blackened and weeping. "No Cyclonus!" he grates. "Bring him closer and have him reactivated. I would have him see his role in the coming storm..." "Move out of the way, you *kik* foul-smelling nose-creature," Barrage grates out unpleasantly to Blot as he drags Penumbra forward. Rather ungracefully does the Insecticon drop the Autobot he's carrying, letting him fall to the ground with a heavy clang as Cyclonus barks. "Of -- of course !! It will be *kik* done--!" Barrage drops down, ripping open a portion of Penumbra's chest -- at least, until the other voice cuts in. Beady red eyes flicker in a blink, before looking over to the bandaged figure. That metal plate still in hand, Barrage wordlessly drags the Autobot forward before scurrying off, transforming as he maneuvers to the shadows to, you know, vomit over the piece of Penumbra he's taken and have a quick snack. Cyclonus stiffens. "Y... yes, my lord." He snaps at the jets and such. "BRING HIM BACK ONLINE! YOU HEARD OUR LEADER!" As the other bots are prepping the Autobot for .... /something/, Mesa steps up near the shadowy figure and hand the figure a datapad. "Lord, I have completed the first phase of sabotage operations. I had part of my DCI team destroy Silo JH-37 on the docks. Megatron believes that a large quantity of Energon has been destroyed. The Energon was moved safely and quietly here to this location as well as an assorted allotment of materials for your repairs." Mesa salutes and steps backwards out of the way. The datapad, goes into intricate details on how all these plans were accomplished. The shadowy figure nods to Mesa in satisfaction. "Megatron is a FOOL, his fall is certain. Congratulations Mesa, you have earnt the right to LIVE this day." Slowly, painfully he rises to his full height, the bandages fluttering about his decaying frame as a gumby medic reactivates Penumbra. He points to a rather horrific-looking harness device that also lurks in the shadows. "Thunderwing has done his job well. Fix the Autobot to the device." The order is simple but sharp Blot remains quiet but steps back into the darkness a bit, in the hopes it will mask the smell so as not to spoil the moment. It doesn't. And he forgets he's doing it anyway the moment they start opening up laser cores and stuff as he comes back out learing over their sacrifice hungrily. "Blot hear laser core taste like chicken nugget." He murmurs hungrily, smacking his lips. Penumbra is revived and his optics glow to life. Miss Carnuba Wax, is that you?" He's not quite fully aware of his surroundings yet obviously. That is until Decepticon hands roughly remind him of his sense of touch... and pain flares up all over from the damage he's been taking today. He winces. "Hey not so rough!" Cyclonus backhands Penumbra. "SILENCE!" he bellows, his gruff voice getting distorted from how much emotion is being forced into it -- that is, any at all, which is roughly a billion percent more than Cyclonus can get on average. He drags Penumbra to the fantastic fabtraption himself and starts to lock him into it, a painful process involving drills and needles and cuffs. Mesa simply watches the horrors unfold. Though admittedly he has seen worse. Barrage devours scrap metal from Penumbra's chest plate as he advances towards the seeker gumbies, insectoid head twitching to the side as he observes. "And *kik* this one will be enough? Surprising for someone so *kik* weak," the DELUXE Insecticon comments off handedly before gobbling up another chunk of metal. "Be grate*kik*ful, you spineless idiot! You get to be a part of something truly *kik* /spectacular./" Penumbra gets pimp-slapped by Cyclonus and is put in a fuzzy-vision daze. "I... told you darling... not so rough... you'll wreck the paint.... what?" He's physically a joke. He's mentally a fireplug even when semi conscious. Gumby medics crowd around Penumbra, plugging various wires into the Autobot, diamond-tipped drills whirring into life and cables and monitors are inserted into his body and lasercore itself. The bandaged, shadowy figure stalks towards Penumbra, baleful red optics burning bright like the fires of hell itself, a huge decaying blackened gauntlet reaching out to hold the Autobot's chin, leaving soot marks where it touches. "I wonder Autobot. Can you concieve of what we are about to achieve this day? Of the magnificent process that the extinguishing of your life-spark will set off? Do you know that we stand on the apex of a new era?" Technicians scuttle around him, connecting leads to the figure as well. He hisses, his optics flaring even redder. "Do you know ME?" Blot begins to clap, obviously a little early as the show isn't over yet. He coughs and stops, taking a step back. Cyclonus backs away, watching the horrendous procedure in stark revenance. Penumbra focusses his will to bring his vision back into clarity as filthy hand touches his face. He very calmly, and without a hint of sarcasm or mirth, replies, "I don't care who you are. It doesn't matter. You don't matter. So keep pulling the strings of all your puppets here and do your worst.... oh and wash your hands you slagging grub." Mesa without hesitation punches the Autobot in the face. "Do not speak any further Autobot. It will serve you no good." Mesa then bows the the shadowy figure and backs away. "Show more *kik* RESPECT in the time you have LEFT," Barrage clicks out in an unpleasant shriek, beady red eyes flaring. "Bravado means *kik* nothing here. Your fate is already *kik* decided." "Silence, both of you," Cyclonus murmurs. "Now is not our time to speak." The figure smiles a sickly smile beneath his bandaged face, his facial armour audiably cracking and oozing and he does so. "You amuse me Autobot" he growls. "But my time grows short, the ressurection will continue apace." Clenching one fist, as the medics finish hooking him up, he points a finger to Cyclonus. "Cyclonus, YOU will have the honour of operating the machinery. Engage it, /DRAIN/ the lifeforce from this miserable wrech so that I may be reborn again, and CRUSH Megatron beneath my heel" Penumbra spits out some energon and small shards of metal. He groans out as he glances at Mesa, "Puppet." And to Barrage. "Your fate is sealed. You will die a slave." He then shuts up, nothing more to say to his enemies in his time of doom. "Hh," Barrage grates out irritatingly before scuttling back into the shadows of the lab, engaging in his own busywork as the terrifying process begins. Mesa simply states, "You are just as much of a puppet as anyone else then. You serve because you think you believe in your cause, I had the freedom of choice back then and I chose to join the Deceptors," that last part really telling of Mesa's extremely old age, "So who really is the slave here?" Mesa smiles as the Autobot is about to meet his fate. "As you command, my lord," Cyclonus rasps. He walks over to console of pure Kirby tech, all pulsing light tubes and crackling dots of energy blinking in and out of existence. He pauses, as if about to deliver some sort of bold speech. Then he thinks the better of it and hits the button. Penumbra smiles to himself. "Try leaving. See if you are free." Mesa smiles. "I have no desire to leave. I like what I do. I believe in what I do. I believe in the cause we fight for." Mesa hesitates for a moment. "Besides, I like it here. Do you like it here?" Mesa then laughs at the Autobot. To those that have been around Mesa for a while, this is a side of him rarely seen. "Freedom is an illusion" croaks the shadowed figure. "There is only my will, and my will alone. Consider that, in your dying moments." And then the button is pressed and the machinery explodes with energy, turning the darkened room into a firework display of light, as power courses through the frame Penumbra is strapped to, crackling around his body, draining his life essence in a most painful manner. The bandaged figure throws back his head and laughs as he too is bathed in light, his croaking, shattered voice becoming more firm and powerful with every growing second as every crack in his body shines. "Yes!" he utters, as he raises a hand to tear off the coverings that surround his face, letting them drop to the floor. "YES!" His body continues to glow, the black decaying armour now flaking off to the ground to show a shining silvery-purple beneath. And it is Galvatron Penumbra convulses in his restraints as life is drained from him in this most spectacular manner. He must be in The Pit Of Despair. This is indeed the most terrible sensation he has ever experienced. No weapon wound comes close. Blot realizes that this is the actual cue and begins to clap again. Barrage helpfully buzzes out a very loud "HAIL BOMB-- HAIL *kik* GALVATRON!" at the sight of the purple tin tyrant's rebirth. Mesa just stands there as the sparks of light reflect in his sizable Mono-optic. "Glory to the Empire." Is all that Mesa says at long last. Hopefully the Materials and Energon he pilfered will be adequate for Galvatron. The light continues to wash over Galvatron as his body heals, his head held back as if some divine, angellic rebirth. His fists clench and unclench as the machine continues its work. "Nnnn!" he mutters. "And now, the rheanimum injection!" More power hums around him as his purple armour crystalises and hardens, the purple swirling into a burning silver. He snaps his head back down as the light dies, and looks to Mesa. "Yes" he utters, his voice low and powerful. "Glory to ME" Penumbra's optics fade and darken briefly staring at Galvatron, then he falls still and silent like a corpse. Slumped and deminished. A small, perverse smile crosses Cyclonus' face. His red eyes glow as Galvatron frees himself from the confines of rotted metal and dirty bandages. He cannot even summon words to speak as he watches the glory of the true leader of the Decepticons revealing himself, in all of his splendor, at long last. There is a long moment of silence -- before Cyclonus turns and shoots one of the Seekers. "IMBECILES!" he cries. "PAY /HOMAGE/ TO YOUR /LORD/! /HAIL GALVATRON/!" "HAIL GALVATRON!" the rest of the nameless Decepticons scream rather quickly. Mesa drops to one knee and salutes Galvatron in all his Glory. "Glory to the Empire." Mesa says again, his head low. "GLORY to *kik* GALVATRON!" shouts Barrage as the Insecticon reemerges, dipping down to one knee in the presence of the Unicronian dictator, taking note of the different color scheme. "A fantastic choice in new *kik* colors, my lord." Penumbra ironically is a highly skilled paint scheme artist.... or was. You must have killed him you bastiches! Galvatron stands still, flexing his fists before reaching out and TEARING the apparatus which the poor Penumbra is mounted on down. One huge booted foot kicks into the fallen Autobot as he sneers. "Mesa, Barrage. Dump this carcass into space. Cyclonus, destroy this station. It is of no further use to me. We move to a new location." The Emperor of the Decepticons flexes his cannon arm, letting the barrel glow with energy, spurting out firey death in the direction of a hapless gumby guard, who explodes into agonising flames. "Yes..." he mutters. "Perfect. Soon this 'Megatron' will know my wrath, and it shall be TERRIBLE!" Mesa quickly grabs the carcass of Penumbra and does as ordered. After which, Mesa tracks down the Commandos and tells them to reload EVERYTHING back on to the shuttles. The Commandos grunt about this but do as their told. Mesa assists them with reloading. "Truly this is Galvatron re*kik*turned," remarks Barrage delightfully as Galvatron blasts away a nearby footsoldier. The Insecticon lifts off his feet, gripping Penumbra's body and ripping it free of the machinery. He drags it behind him in short order, opening the airlock and thrusting Penumbra out into space with Mesa's assistance. "Rot in *kik* the pits." Penumbra is somehow ejected into space eventually thanks to Decepticon sense of cooperation ;) Cyclonus begins to pour enerkerosene everywhere. "As you command, my lord." Blot shifts with traditional sound effect into a hairy slimey ape monster, gouts of flame wavering threateningly from his nostrils, "Ooooh Blot looooove bonfire parties! " He continues to clap, obviously caught up in the throes of celebration over this momentous occassion. Galvatron idly lifts the fallen Seeker by his head and crushes his skull, looking at it with disinterest. "We shall disembark to the head of Unicron where the final battle will be planned" he utters. "Increase the acts of sabotage Cyclonus, when I fight this so-called Megatron, the ground beneath his feet shall already be torn away. And then we will have no APPEASEMENT or TRICKERY or APPEASEMENT!" He turns to violently throw the crushed guard head at a nearby wall, where it impacts next to Cyclonus. "We are Decepticons, and where we tread we leave nothing but DUST. You would all do well to remember that!" Mesa stands up and speaks "Lord, more acts of sabotage are in the works. I will try to minimize the damage so that it's easily fixable upon your return. I will also have the shipments of /liberated/ energon sent to Unicron's Head." Mesa follows that up with a salute. "Hh," Cyclonus says. "Just get in the shuttle, Mesa." The power system inputs now covered in enerkerosene, he stands at the ready with a torch. Blot coughs impatiently, "Blot love BURNING things, NOW TIME????" He sniffs at all the ener-kerosine eager to burn it. Mesa does so as ordered. "When Galvatron is safely inside the shuttle," Cyclonus notes. Blot is looking the way Galvatron isn't. "Oh... Well... Is He Inside Yet?" Galvatron tenses his fists again as the station is evacuated, and almost casually, with his cannon arm pointed down, sends a blast of particle energy towards the ground which instantly ignites the explosives, the room bursting into flames around him. Galvatron walks out of the inferno towards the ship as the heat licks at his armour, a look of stony determination on his face. "I will come when I am READY, Cyclonus. Do not assume to order me" "Of -- of course not, my Lord." Cyclonus hucks his torch into the power intake. "Blot. Burn. And run." Blot blinks and begins to belch fire as the place begins to explode, he hasn't planned this out very well, as he can't fly in this mode and has to go scrambling after the shuttle to make some kind of escape. He shoots flames everywhere as he runs just for good measure, burning other flames and even explosions just to make sure. And by the skin of his teeth he squeaks on board the shuttle before the bay doors close. Barrage helpfully unleashes a volley of firepower across the lab with a clicking, screeching laugh of glee. Hip guns swivel about as they blast at the walls, at fuel supplies -- anything and everything in sight before making his way to the shuttle, boarding it with a cry of "HAIL *kik* BOMBSHELL! HAIL GALVA*kik*TRON!" Galvatron calmly enters the shuttle and takes the command chair as smoothly and as easily as if he had never been away. "Cyclonus" he growls, his face hidden by shadows. "Engage the engines. And prepare the others for my coming." As Sunlab-2 begins to die, Cyclonus takes his seat at the front of the craft (at the CONN station). "At once, my lord. Engines online." There's a shuddering lurch -- and then the craft hurtles forward into space. Behind it, Sunlab goes nova. Mesa sits at the back, taking note of where Penumbra's body was floating as the station goes nova. He leans back and bobs his head slightly, listening to music that only he can hear. Blot guffaws out the window, "Now Sunlab like sun-star." Harr dee harr harr hurff de durrf.